FACULTY LIFE SCIENCE

Malaria is a life threatening disease that affects approximately 1.2 billion people worldwide. The emergence of drug resistance parasite to currently available drugs and the spread of insecticide resistance mosquito vector have resulted in drawback to malaria control programs. Hence the need to develop novel antiplasmodial agent that will be cheaper and effective against the Plasmodium parasite. This study was aimed at evaluating the antiplasmodial property and cytotoxicity of methanol extracts of Tetrorchidium didymostemon leaves and stem bark. The study entailed preliminary evaluation of the phytochemicals and in vitro antioxidant activity of the plant extracts. The in vitro antiplasmodial property of the plant extracts (using the candle jar method) in chloroquine sensitive strain of P. falciparum (3D7 strain) and cytotoxicity (using Vero cell line) were assessed. In vivo antiplasmodial property of the extracts was evaluated on Plasmodium berghei ANKA infected Swiss mice. Fractionation of the most active extract; in vitro antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity of the subsequent fractions were also carried out. The most active fraction was analyzed using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID).

A one month (August, 2023) study was conducted in Okomu Oil Palm plantation (an altered rainforest habitat) located in Ovia South-West L.G.A., Edo state Nigeria in order to investigate the dietary and feeding habit of the ground dwelling anurans in the study area. The paucity in available information on the food and feeding habit of ground dwelling anurans from the rainforest ecological zone necessitated this study. The specimens were collected at night using the visual and acoustic sampling technique. They were euthanized by exposure to chloroform in a killing jar, injected and fixed with 10% formalin to arrest digestion and preserve stomach content. The gut contents were introduced into properly labeled vials and their prey items fixed in 70% alcohol for microscopic examination and identification. The dietary composition of 28 ground dwelling anurans belonging to 3 families (Bufonidae, Pipidae and Ranidae), 4 genera (Sclerophrys, Silurana, Ptychadena and Hoplobatrachus) and 5 species were recorded. The species encountered included: Sclerophrys maculata, Silurana tropicalis, Hoplobatrachus occipitalis, Ptychadena bibroni and Ptychadena longirostris. A total of 325 prey items belonging to 8 Orders, were recovered from their stomach of which Hymenoptera had the highest abundance of 92.9%, was the most dominant prey item recorded while the least prey item recorded were Dermaptera, Orthoptera and Geophilomorpha which had the lowest abundance of 0.31% each.

Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Seafood is an important source of protein in many diets around the world, especially in coastal areas. Microbiological surveillance of sea food such as crayfish, periwinkle, fish and shrimp’s products provides empirical data to enlighten scientific guidance for improving the safety and quality of food. A total of 52 seafood samples which include 6 shrimps, 15 crayfish, 7 smoked fish, 9 frozen fish, and 15 periwinkles from five local markets in Benin City, Nigeria were assessed. The fish samples were microbiologically assessed using cultural, biochemical and antibiotic susceptibility techniques. The occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus were shrimps [0/6 (0%)], crayfish [4/15 (26.7%)], smoked fish [4/7 (57.1%)], frozen fish [3/9 (33.3%)] and periwinkles [4/15 (26.7%)]. The highest prevalence occurred in smoked fish samples while there was no occurrence observed in shrimp samples. The distribution of Staphylococcus species based on market location were Ekiosa market [2/8 (25%)], Uselu market [1/9 (11.1%)], New Benin market [1/13 (7.7%)], New Market [(4/9) (44.4%)] and Oba market [7/13 (53.9%)]. The highest prevalence was observed at Oba market (53.9%) while the least prevalence was observed at New Benin market (7.7%). The highest antibiotic resistance was demonstrated to penicillin with a resistance rate of 100% while there was no resistance observed towards nitrofurantoin and gentamicin. The multiple antibiotics resistance (MAR) index of Staphylococcus aureus in this study ranged from 0.7 – 0.3. All the isolates were resistant to at least two antibiotics and demonstrated an MAR index ≥ 0.3.

The study eutrophication stimulation effect on river Eruvbi phytoplankton was done to observe the growth response of the phytoplankton to different nutrient enrichment. Water samples were collected from the river site as well as phytoplankton samples. The phytoplankton was subjected to microscopic examination. The study involved natural phytoplankton population and introduced algae of (Scenedesums acutus and Chlorella vulgaris). The nutrient concentration used were 2.4mg/L nitrate, 1.2 mg/L phosphate and 2.4 mg/L nitrate + 1.2 mg/L phosphate, growth measurement was done optically using spectrometry at 750nm. The physiochemical composition of the river was also carried out, with some done in situ and others done in the laboratory. The result of the stimulated experiment showed that indigenous phytoplankton growth was best stimulated by nitrate enrichment, while introduced phytoplankton responded better phosphate enrichment. The phytoplankton composition of river Eruvbi has a low biodiversity and the algae present show the river to be oligotrophic in nature. Some physiochemical parameters such as dissolved solid, total alkalinity, total hardness and turbidity fell within the WHO guidelines for drinking water, while others like dissolved oxygen and pH were above the WHO guidelines for drinking water. It was concluded from the results that river Eruvbi which is oligotrophic as at present will under eutrophication if subjected to nitrate enrichment which will also cause a rapid bloom in the phytoplankton species of the river. Therefore extra care must be taken to prevent the eutrophication of the river.

In the past, compact discs (also known as CDs) were the unchallenged leaders of the digital era, completely changing the way we stored and accessed information. CDs, which were created by Sony and Philips in the early 1980s, swiftly overtook cassette tapes as the most popular format for music delivery. This research project aims to study the impact of temperature and humidity at different ranges on the diversity and population of fungal species colonies dominating stored CD plates. For this research experiment, a total of Thirty-six (36) were purchased, out of which twelve CDs were opened, another twelve were closed by singularly sealing each CD in a regular CD storage nylon pack, and the last set of CDs was burnt (a process of storing information of various types, raw data documents to videos. Thermometers and hygrometers were used to track temperature and relative humidity, and for four weeks, conventional protocols were followed for fungal count and identification. According to the results, there is a weekly variation in temperature, but it usually stays between 30 and 37 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, relative humidity rose regularly in the various locations under study. Fungal counts of all CD plates studied increased with an increase in humidity with time. Fungal isolated from the studied CD plates were Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus arrhizus, Mucor mucedo, Cladosporium spp., Penicillium sp. Conclusively, relative humidity had a positive correlation with the fungal load of the studies CD plate, while temperature had little effect on fungal counts.

Lidocaine HCl 1.0%, is a local anaesthetic which is commonly used in the eye care profession during certain diagnostic tests and examinations to produce numbness or loss of sensation on or around the eye to aid certain diagnostic tests and procedures such as tonometry, pachymetry, gonioscopy, foreign body removal etc. It is also the drug of choice for certain ocular surgical procedures such as cataract surgery, pterygium excision, trabeculectomy and other procedures involving periocular structures. This study was carried out to examine and determine the effect of topical lidocaine HCl 1.0% on blink rate, tear stability and tear flow rate. This was an experimental study which was carried out on 36 randomly selected healthy young adults (18 males and 18 females) with mean age 22.61 ± 2.66 years, with no history of contact lens wear, ocular surface disorders, and current use of topical ocular medications. The blink rate, tear stability and tear flow rate of the various participants were obtained before and after the application of lidocaine HCl 1.0% ophthalmic solution. The blink rate per minute was measured with the use of a stopwatch, tear stability was determined through NonInvasive Tear Break Up Time (NITBUT) with a keratometer. The results obtained showed that the mean value of the blink rate, tear stability and tear flow rate decreased after the instillation of lidocaine. There was no significant relationship between gender and the value of the blink rate, tear stability and tear flow rate; there was also no significant relationship between age and the blink rate and tear flow rate but it was observed there was an inverse relationship between age and tear stability. Thus, the use of topical lidocaine HCl 1.0 % is safe for use in the eye care profession but screening for dry eye disease should be carried out before administration of this anaesthetic.

In this study, the effect of ethanol extract of Solarium nigrum (Sn) leaf on the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) after histamine challenge in ovalbumin-sensitized guinea pigs was investigated. Three weeks old, male guinea pigs (25 of them) were divided into five groups consisting of five pigs each were used. All animals were allowed access to standard animal feed and water. In addition animals were pre-sensitized with ovalbumin, and then exposed to 2% histamine aerosol after an overnight fast. The pre convulsion time was recorded. Animals in groups 2, 3, 4, were administered ethanol extract of Solanum nigrum leaf at the respective doses of 50, 100 and 200mg/kg body weight while animals in group 5. received 25mg/kgbw of the reference drug aminophylline. Animals were again subjected to histamine aerosol after drug administration and the pre-convulsion was again recorded. All animals were sacrificed three days after the last challenge and their lungs were excised. Result obtained indicates that sensitization with ovalbumin and exposure to histamine aerosol caused the increase in the lipid peroxidation in bronchial alveolar tissue, lung and plasma cells respectively. Treatment with ethanol extract of Solanum nigrum (Sn) leaf showed a decrease in the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) when compared to that of the control.

This study evaluated the effects of spent crude oil on the growth and development of two cocoyam species (Colocasia esculenta [L.] Schott. and Xanthosoma sagitifolim [L.] Schott.] as well as the microbiological, proximate and phytochemical compostion of soil and cocoyam species. Cocoyam corms from both species were collected from different markets in Benin City while the spent crude oil was obtained from mechanic workshop. 250kg of loamy soil was mixed with 10 litres of spent oil, the same treatment was carried out for the other respective treatment 7 litres, 3 litres and the control which was without oil. Then 25kg of the various soil treatment was transferred into the perforated bowls. After which the corm was planted into the bowl, then the plant was monitored for eight months. After eight month the plant that was given control treatment had the highest plant height (75.5 cm). The plants grown on spent oil contaminated soil had better body mass compared to those grown on soil without any contaminants. The microbiological and phytochemical analysis of the control and contaminated soil and cocoyam species was done using standard laboratory methods. The result of the fungi associated with cocoyam revealed a colony-forming unit of between 64×105 and 127×105. The group of fungi mainly associated with the different cocoyam samples obtained from the different markets in Benin City was mainly Aspergillus and Penicillum species. The Aspergillus sp. was more diverse based on their morphological description on PDA when compared to the Penicillum sp. The percentage occurrence of the Penicillium sp. was found to be higher than those of the Aspergillus sp. in all the cocoyam samples analyzed. The results of the proximate values of the Taro samples revealed the presence of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre and ash in varying amounts while the results of the phytochemicals revealed the presence of saponin, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and polyphenol. Cocoyam contains food compounds that are beneficial and also of economic importance to man. However, there is the need to conserve this food substance against fungal infestation so that its full economic value can be harnessed. Most importantly, the results from the study revealed that the growth and development of cocoyam are affected by spent crude oil pollution of soil. More study is required to elucidate the potential effects and bioremediation potentials of the crops.

Hypertension and diabetes are major global health problems that often occur together, worsening cardiovascular and hematological complications. Standard therapies such as Lisinopril and Glibenclamide are effective but can alter normal blood parameters during prolonged use. This study compared the effects of Lisinopril/Glibenclamide (50 mg/kg) and the methanol fraction of Sida acuta and Cleome rutidosperma (50 mg/kg) on hematopoietic modulation in hypertensive and diabetic male Wistar rats. Hypertension and diabetes were induced using L-NAME and
Streptozotocin. Rats were divided into seven groups, including normal, untreated hypertensive/diabetic, and treated groups. Treatments were administered orally for five weeks. Blood samples were analyzed for red and white cell indices, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, and platelet parameters. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at p ≤ 0.05. Induction of hypertension and diabetes caused elevated monocyte and granulocyte counts, indicating systemic inflammation. Both treatments significantly reduced monocyte levels (p < 0.001), but only the plant extract reduced granulocyte percentage (p = 0.003), suggesting stronger anti-inflammatory action. Lisinopril/Glibenclamide treatment lowered hemoglobin concentration (p = 0.016), while the Sida acuta/Cleome rutidosperma extract maintained normal red cell values, showing hematoprotective effects. The drug combination increased platelet count and size, whereas the plant extract preserved normal platelet balance. The methanol extract of Sida acuta and Cleome rutidosperma demonstrated comparable—and in some areas superior—hematopoietic and antiinflammatory effects to Lisinopril/Glibenclamide. Its ability to maintain erythroid and immune balance suggests potential as a natural adjunct or alternative therapy for managing hypertension– diabetes comorbidity.

This study investigated the effect of water soluble fractions of crude oil on the growth of Monoraphidium contortum and Dimorphococcus lunatus over a 14 day period. The test algae were grown in concentrations of CHU 10 nutrient media mixed with varying concentrations of WSF of crude oil (5%,10%, 25%, 50%, 75% 100%) which were prepared in triplicates. The growth response was measured using a visible spectrophotometer at two day intervals over a 14 day period. Physicochemical parameters (pH, EC, and TDS) were assessed on day 14 of the experiment and were compared to the stock concentration before exposure to the test microalgae. The results showed that there was growth stimulation for all concentrations of 0%, 5%,10%, 25%, 50%,75%, and 100% from day 0 to day 2, and a lag phase from day 2 to day 4 for 10% and 100%. The highest growth was recorded at 5% concentration on day 14
with an absorbance value of 0.035, followed closely by 100%, 50%, and 75% concentrations, while 10% WSF showed the least growth on day 14 with an absorbance value of 0.02. Statistically, the growth response of the microalgae to the WSF concentrations did not differ significantly (p > 0.005). Generally the percentage yield was higher in M.contortum compared to D.lunatus. The physicochemical properties of Dimorphococcus lunatus and onoraphidium contortum showed that when the quantity of WSF was reduced, both TDS and electrical conductivity rose. On the other hand, the pH revealed that it was somewhat more alkaline with a lower WSF concentration, suggesting acidity with a higher WSF. To summarize, Dimorphococcus lunatus exhibited a strong inhibitory reaction, and Monoraphidium contortum is better suited for bioremediation of crude oil in contaminated water.